International artist keeps it Kiwi for giant sculpture

HIS striking and thought-provoking art works have been exhibited all over the world – but Konstantin Dimopoulos’ latest work is inspired by his Kiwi upbringing.

The Wellingtonian, now based in Melbourne, recently launched his towering new sculpture, Windgrass, in Featherston’s Clifford Square.

The 8.5 metre brown and yellow creation is a homage to the grasses of the south Wairarapa coastline, which the artist often visited as a young man.

“It represents the bulrushes of the Wairarapa area,” says Mr Dimopoulos, an Egyptian-born Greek who was raised in Wellington.

“We used to visit Lake Ferry and go to White Rock and the Bombora for surfing. So, I’ve grown up with the native flora and fauna.

“The idea was to enlarge the bulrushes to give them a towering effect.

“When you enlarge something, people see it in a completely different light.” The sculpture is designed to move with the wind – a recurring theme for the proud Wellingtonian, whose first major sculpture Pacific Grass was made in response to the city’s famous wind.

“There’s lots of wind on the Wairarapa coast – which helped with the surf,” says Mr Dimopoulos, who used a high performance composite material to make Windgrass.

“The sculpture chatters when it moves and creates shadows. It’s quite magical to stand and watch it move and create patterns.”

Mr Dimopoulos spent 10 days in the Wairarapa working on Windgrass, which was commissioned by the Aratoi Foundation, the fundraising arm of the region’s Aratoi Museum of Art and History.

He says the Featherston community’s response to Windgrass has been mostly positive – but, for some residents, the tall and imposing piece has taken some getting used to.